1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a conventional sheet conveying apparatus is known as to includes a movable first conveyance guide and a fixed second conveyance guide to a main body of the apparatus with a sheet conveyance path provided therebetween in such a configuration that the first conveyance guide turns around a fixed swing fulcrum with respect to a main body of the apparatus.
Such a sheet conveying apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-194517 as a prior art. Such a re-feed unit is known as to temporarily stack thereon a sheet on which an image is formed by image forming means and then convey it again. The re-feed unit includes a conveyance guide for conveying a sheet after a sheet is formed on it and an intermediate tray for placing the sheet thereon temporarily. The conveyance guide is composed of an upper conveyance guide and a lower conveyance guide between which a sheet conveyance path is formed, serving also as a cover for the intermediate tray in configuration.
In this configuration, the upper conveyance guide and the lower conveyance guide are coupled to each other by an arm. Therefore, when an end of the upper conveyance guide is gripped and raised, this upper conveyance guide is separated from the lower conveyance guide by a predetermined distance. In turn, the lower conveyance guide coupled to the upper conveyance guide by the arm is separated from the intermediate tray in condition where it is interlocked with the upper one. Then, by swinging the upper conveyance guide, an interior of the conveyance guide and a space above the intermediate tray can be opened so that a jam clearance operation can be performed.
However, according to this conventional example, an opening angle of the conveyance guide is not more than 90 degrees, so that a vicinity of the swing fulcrum has a smaller space than a free end (which is to be gripped) of the conveyance guide; therefore, if a sheet is jammed near the swing fulcrum, the jammed sheet cannot easily cleared.